Palestine: Israeli plan to expand the Buraq Wall plaza, land seized & houses to be demolished

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– Hebrew newspaper Yediot Ahronot revealed on Wednesday a new scheme that aims to expand the area of the Buraq Wall, adjacent to Al-Aqsa mosque.

The Israeli plan aims to resolve the dispute between ultra-Orthodox Jews and American Jews regarding mixing between women and men in the place.

The newspaper said the scheme will divide the place into three sections: one for men, the second for women and the third for the mixed public.

The plan was suggested by Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, who will present his recommendations to the Israeli Prime Minister within days. It received initial approval by the ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem and the American Jews abroad.

Meanwhile, the Jerusalemites warned of the Israeli persistent excavations in the Buraq Square, carried out in preparations for the construction of the religious center of Beit Strauss.

For his part, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, warned of the seriousness of the excavation work in the Buraq Square.

He added in a press statement that the Buraq Square is part of the Islamic Endowments, which the Israeli occupation authorities have been repeatedly trying to seize.

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IOF kidnap Thaer Halahela once again

RAMALLAH, (PIC)– The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Wednesday re-kidnapped ex-detainee Thaer Halahela from his home in Ramallah city after beating him severely.

The IOF had released Halahela along with his fellow hunger striker Bilal Diyab from administrative detention last June after a deal that ended their hunger strike.

According to eyewitnesses, the IOF violently broke into and ransacked the houses of Halahela and his neighbors.

The troops also brutally beat him in front of his wife and children, and confiscated his cellphone.

Halahela moved to live in Ramallah three months ago and was an active participant in all events held lately in support of the Palestinian prisoners, and he might be kidnapped this time because of his solidarity activities.

His wife was reportedly rushed to hospital after she lost her consciousness as the troops were beating and humiliating her husband.

Halahela, aged 33, has been detained administratively based on an Israeli secret file eight times before.

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IOA prevents the entry of 1000 trucks carrying goods into Gaza

GAZA, (PIC)– Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) continued to close Karm Abu Salem crossing for the third day in a row, preventing the entry of nearly one thousand trucks carrying goods into Gaza Strip, the Popular Committee Against the Siege said.

The Palestinian follow-up committee of crossings reported that Karm Abu Salem, located south east of the Gaza Strip, is closed for the third consecutive day, pointing out that the crossing was closed 43 days since the beginning of the year under various pretexts.

The committee clarified that the mentioned 1000 trucks were carrying agricultural and commercial products, aid supplies to UNRWA agency, and building materials for some international projects, in addition to cooking gas.

The Israeli policy of closing crossings leads to huge losses to the Palestinian traders and businessmen in Gaza, the committee added.

The committee stressed the need to fully open Gaza crossings, increase the number of trucks allowed into Gaza to meet the people’s needs, and to stop limiting the fishing area to three miles.

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Settlers seize Palestinian land in al-Khalil

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)– A group of Jewish settlers seized by force Palestinian agricultural land in Tel Armidah area in the city of al-Khalil south of the West Bank.

The settlers seized an agricultural land owned by Abu Haikel family and began to farm it after linking it to a water network in a neighboring settlement, the Rehabilitation Committee in al-Khalil said on Tuesday.

Abu Haikel family pointed out that their land, about five dunums, has been subjected to several previous settlers’ attacks during the past ten years.

The family called on local and international human rights organizations to back Tel Armidah’s residents who are constantly exposed to the Jewish settlers’ attacks that aim to deport them and confiscate their lands.

In the same context, Israeli bulldozers demolished on Tuesday water wells in Khirbet Alderat, east of the town of Yatta southern al-Khalil, under the pretext of being established without permit, the coordinator of Committee Against Settlement revealed.

The committee’s coordinator added that the Israeli occupation forces had served demolition notices to more than 60 facilities in the region.

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IOF to demolish 8 houses in the Northern Jordan Valley

NABLUS, (PIC)– Israeli occupation forces notified on Tuesday afternoon 8 citizens from Ain al-Hilweh in Wadi al-Maleh in the Northern Jordan Valley to evacuate the region, claiming it is a military zone where construction is prohibited.

Aref Daraghmeh, head of Wadi al-Maleh village council, said in a press statement that the occupation authorities ordered the families who live in tin huts in the village to leave before the next month.

He added that these notifications come in the context of the continuous Israeli attempts to evacuate the region from its inhabitants.

Ali Daraghmeh, a resident in Ain al-Hilweh, stressed that these military decisions had a negative impact on the residents of the area whose number began to decrease as a result of the practices of the IOF soldiers and settlers in the region.

The IOF turned 70% of Wadi al-Maleh’s lands to military training areas and areas planted with landmines.